Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival

Place : Inle Lake in Shan state

Time : 17th Oct – 3rd Nov 2020 (Recommended to recheck the final occasion time with us.)

Duration : 18 Days

Description : The PHAUNG DAW OO Festival is the biggest and most important occasion in the SHAN State. The PHAUNG DAW OO Pagoda, one of the holiest sites of the SHAN State, houses five statues. Three of the statues are allegedly Buddha images and the other two Buddha disciples. All five have lost any recognizable shape after being encrusted with accumulated gold leaf over the centuries. But their fame and holiness is undisputed and pilgrims rub red strips of cloth over the Statues and tie the cloth to their bikes, cars and trucks to ward off evil spirits. During the 18-day festival period, four of the five images are carried around the lake by ceremonial barge to bless the village monasteries. The barge is pushed forward by the unique leg-rowers of the INLE Lake. The fifth Buddha image stays to guard the monastery. Legend has it that when the five were paraded around the lake, the barge suddenly capsized, only four statues were recovered but the fifth mysteriously reappeared at the pagoda draped in lake reeds and has remained there since. It’s a magnificent sight; hundreds of boats follow the slow procession around the lake and thousands of people flock to the lakeshores to celebrate the occasion. The atmosphere is carnival type. The annual boat races also take place at this time, which adds further excitement and entertainment to the occasion.How to get there : Flying from YANGON/BAGAN/MANDALAY to HEHO airport and 1 hour drive to NYAUNG SHWE and take the boat to INLE Lake.Accommodation : widely available and choose your favorite in Hotels Page.

Program : One or two days of this occasion program should be combined with your choice of tour including Inle Region.